The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced yesterday that influenza (flu) vaccine manufacturers are expecting to produce and distribute more than 100 million doses of influenza vaccines in the United States between now and early January, 2007.

CDC said in a statement at its official website that this record supply, which may ease rationing seen in previous years, is at least 17 million more doses of influenza vaccine than has ever been distributed in the past (previous high was 83.1 million doses in 2003) and about 19 million more doses than were distributed last year (81.2 million).

Manufacturers have already begun to ship this season's influenza vaccine, with almost of all of the vaccine expected to be shipped and distributed in October and November.

According to the information from manufacturers, about 75 million doses will be distributed by the end of October. That would be about 15 million more doses than were distributed by the end of October, 2005.

"As we've learned in the past few years, there is always some uncertainty regarding influenza vaccine supplies and distribution," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director. "It's often very difficult to predict how much vaccine will be distributed and when, or exactly when influenza vaccine will be available for those who provide it," she said. " However, if the manufacturers' estimates hold, more people than ever before will be able to protect themselves and their loved ones from influenza this year."

CDC recommends that the best time for vaccination is in October or November, before the flu season typically begins, and that there are many people who can benefit from the protection an influenza vaccine can provide, especially health care providers, children between six months and up to five years of age, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, and people 50 years old and older, said Gerberding.

Each year in the United States, between five and 20 percent of the population is infected with influenza, about 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of influenza complications.